Asbestos Disease Risks for Catholic School Teachers

Investigation into asbestos remediation project at Wilmington, DE Catholic elementary school sheds light on the risks of asbestos disease facing Catholic educators. Exposure to this cancer-causing mineral is known to cause serious illnesses such as mesothelioma cancer, asbestos-related lung cancer and asbestosis.

Since the post WWII era, virtually every public and private school district in the nation has weighed the need to renovate aging school buildings or construct new buildings against their ability to secure the funding for improvements or new construction. For Catholic schools, these decisions involve not only the parishioners who help support the school, but Catholic diocese that oversees the parish and school.

According to statistics from the National Catholic Educational Association, there are over 200,000 Catholic educators in the U.S., who teach in over 8,000 elementary, high school, religious education and colleges throughout the nation.

School Teachers Have the Highest Rates of Asbestos Disease in Non-Industrial Professions
Statistics from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reveal a shocking statistic for industries where workers are more likely to develop asbestos disease.

While there is no surprise to learn that construction workers, power plant workers and military personnel (particularly those who served on Navy ships or worked at a Navy yard) were at high risk for asbestos disease, the NIOSH statistics reveal that school teachers have the next highest level of risk.

This high risk level stems from the age of the buildings, the areas where asbestos was present, and the likelihood that the asbestos would flake or be disturbed. In addition, many lay and religious elementary school teachers spend their teaching careers working for the same parish school, meaning they would be exposed to the dangerous carcinogen on an almost daily basis.

Asbestos Used in Many Areas in Older School Buildings and Religious Residences
Virtually all of the Catholic elementary schools in older and established communities were built during the first half of the 20th century. Even schools that are considered “newer” in terms of their suburban location or architecture were likely built before the 1970s.

In these schools, asbestos was used to insulate boilers and to cover heating pipes in halls, stairwells and classrooms. Asbestos was often mixed with plaster, which would be disturbed merely by nailing or drilling a hole to hang artwork, shelving or other items. Vinyl and linoleum flooring materials such as linoleum or vinyl either contained asbestos or were installed with asbestos-containing adhesives, which could be disturbed if the floor tiles cracked or lifted. Asbestos-containing mastics were also used to apply wall and floor tiles in school rest rooms and cafeterias and to insulate hot water pipes in these areas. Asbestos exposure could occur if the tiles cracked or broke, or if the insulation was cut when plumbing repairs were done.

In addition, because the convents and other residents where nuns and other religious lived were typically built at the same time their schools were constructed, they faced additional risks each and every day.

Asbestos Disease Not Detected For Several Decades After Exposure
The time between exposure to asbestos and the time when symptoms of an asbestos disease are first detected (known as the latency period) can be 30-40 years long, or even later. This means that teachers who were exposed to asbestos in the 1960s or 1970s may only be showing signs of illness now.

This long latency period is a result of the microscopic structure of asbestos fibers. When these tiny fibers are inhaled, their sharp, jagged edges cause them to attach to lung tissue rather then being expelled by coughing or sneezing.

The asbestos remains virtually dormant in the lungs for decades, but can cause scarring of the lungs and chronic obstructive breathing problems like pleural plaques disease or asbestosis. If the asbestos triggers the lungs to produce abnormal cells, it causes lung cancer or mesothelioma tumors to develop.

How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help
If you or a loved one worked in a school and has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, our experienced asbestos lawyers may be able to help you to seek justice for your illness and file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Please complete the form on this page, and a Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.